Period-instrument opera steps into the spotlight this summer

As Britain’s summer opera festivals prepare to launch their 2026 seasons, one trend is becoming impossible to ignore: period-instrument performance is now a central part of mainstream festival programming.

Across Glyndebourne, Garsington, The Grange, Longborough and Buxton, period-instrument orchestras and Early Music specialists are taking a leading role in some of the summer’s flagship productions. Between them, Glyndebourne, Garsington and The Grange Festival alone will present five major Baroque and Classical historically-informed productions across 40 performances – a level of concentration that is unprecedented.

At Glyndebourne Festival Opera, two of the festival’s six staged productions involve period-instrument orchestras. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, conducted by Jonathan Cohen, directed by William Kentridge, and performed by Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, receives 13 performances (14 Jun–25 Jul), while Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail later in the season (31 July–28 Aug) continues Glyndebourne’s longstanding collaboration with the orchestra.

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^{Director William Kentridge explains his approach to staging Glyndebourne's first L'Orfeo.}

The scale marks a notable shift. In 2026, period performance accounts for a substantial share of the main-stage programme, with Monteverdi – once considered specialist repertoire – now occupying a more central position in the festival schedule.

At Garsington Opera, Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse, starring Ed Lyon in the title role, runs for eight performances under Laurence Cummings with The English Concert (12 Jun–25 Jul). The production continues a strong run of Early Music programming at Garsington which, in recent seasons, has included Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto, Rameau’s Platée and Handel’s Rodelinda, indicating that historically-informed opera has become an annual fixture rather than an occasional addition.

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^{Director John Cairn introduces Garsington Opera's production of Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse.}

The Grange Festival goes further still in 2026, with visits by two major period-instrument ensembles. Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto (7–25 Jun) stars Tim Mead, Sarah Brady, Hugh Cutting and Jess Dandy, with Christian Curnyn directing the Early Opera Company. Alongside it sits concert performances of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, led by Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques (9–10 Jun).

Elsewhere, Handel remains a dominant force this summer. Longborough Festival Opera opens with Orlando (30 May–7 Jun), starring Beth Taylor in the title role and performed by Academy of Ancient Music. Buxton International Festival stages the rarely heard Amadigi di Gaula, conducted by Erin Helyard with The English Concert (12–20 Jul). 

Smaller companies are also helping broaden the repertoire. Also at Buxton, Vache Baroque presents the first known opera by a woman composer, Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero (15–21 Jul), supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation, before returning later in the summer with The Tempest: A Semi-Opera (29 Aug–6 Sep), produced in collaboration with Out of Chaos theatre ensemble, combining Shakespeare with music by Purcell, Locke and Humfrey.

Meanwhile, the 2026 BBC Proms joins the trend, with Sir Mark Elder leading the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique in Weber’s Oberon (6 Aug).

Taken together, the 2026 season points to a decisive shift: historically-informed performance is no longer confined to specialist audiences or fringe repertoire and is increasingly shaping the artistic centre of the summer festival landscape.

For further details about upcoming productions across the UK and full listings of operas performed with period instruments in the 2026 summer festival season, use the search bar at the top of the website header and enter the opera company of your choosing. Plus, why not accompany your browsing with our curated playlist celebrating the best of Handel's operatic arias? 🎶

Cover image: Longborough Festival Opera in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire